Coin push chute



J. LUKE COIN PUSH CI-IUTE Aug. 9, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1965 I N VEN TOR mm mm v Aug. 9, 1966 J. LUKE 3,265,179

COIN PUSH CHUTE Filed April 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR United States Patent 3,265,179 COIN PUSH CHUTE Jack Luke, 715 Victory Drive, Fairport Beach, Ajax, Ontario, Canada Filed Apr. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 445,411 11 Claims. (Cl. 194-92) This invention relates to coin push chutes, and more particularly to improvements in and additions to coin slide locking means to impede passage therethrough of counterfeit coins, and still more particularly to improvements in coin depth sensing mechanisms thereof.

In common use today are many coin push chutes that employ mechanisms to resist or impede the passage dud or counterfeit coins through coin slide engaging mechanisms actuable to a locking position upon engaging dud coins, and or to an unlocked position upon engagement with a true coin. However many such chutes have been found to employ only one or two actuable coin sensing means, thereby permitting the passage of dud coins having certain of their outward characteristics equivalent to the configuration of true coins.

With the growing use of automatic appliances today it has been found that while these conventional coin push chutes were satisfactory when introduced that a wider use is being made by the public of counterfeit coins as their experience with and increased use of coin push chutes enables them to learn ways of overcoming their various coin sensing mechanisms. One example may be given, namely the use of a readily available and relatively tough strip adhesive which, when a true coin is placed in the coin slot, may be applied to the surface of both coin and coin slide, enabling thereby a dishonest person to receive back his own coin having advanced the coin slide past the sensing mechanisms of conventional coin push chutes in the customary manner.

It has also been found that many other conventional coin push chutes permit passage therethrough of dud or counterfeit coins upon the coin slide being jolted or receiving a sudden blow which advances the coin slide toward the coin depositing position past the coin slide engaging mechanisms due to their perceptible delay in moving from the unlocked to the locked positions. It has been noted that explicit instructions are given in many instances to the public for the coin slide to be advanced slowly to the coin depositing position, of course for this reason.

An object of this invention therefore is to provide a coin push chute with improved depth sensing means whereby the coin slide may be advanced to the coin depositing position substantially only when a coin is inserted having both rim thickness and coin face depth of acceptable dimensions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a coin push chute having components actua'ble from a locked to an unlocked position upon coin slide being advanced at customary speed; or, to remain in a locked position upon coin slide being jolted or receiving a sudden deliberate blow.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a coin push chute having a coin ejector mechanism to thereby expel coins from coin slot to prevent a dishonest person from receiving back his original coin upon the coin slide being returned to the coin insert-ion position.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a coin push chute having an improved coin face depth sensing mechanism where the depth sensing component thereof remains substantially unworn after considerable use has been made of the coin push chute to prolong thereby its operating life expectancy.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection Patented August 9, 1956 with the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the top side of a preferred embodiment of my invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged elevation view, partly in section and cut away, depicting the rim feeler mechanism.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view through FIGURE 1 depicting the rim face depth guide mechanism in the locked position prior to engagement of depth guide mechanism with coin in coin slide.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 depicting coin face depth guide mechanism in the unlocked position after engagement with coin in coin slide.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the coin ejector mechanism depicting the manner of operation thereof.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the coin diameter gauge means.

Referring to the drawings in more detail FIGURE 1, my coin push chute comprises a conventional frame 10 and coin slide 11, wherein a coin 12 being deposited in coin slot 1 3, coin slide 11 may thereupon be advanced in coin chute in a conventional manner to the coin depositing position. The mechanism actuated to release a clear passage for a coin, and bore passage for a slug or counterfeit coin will herein be described in sequence, the novelty or improvements in the functioning of the components of each mechanism being partially described only in so far as a departure from conventional mechanisms has been made.

Accordingly, with further reference to FIGURE 1, the coin chute comprises in combination with the conventional components above mentioned a rim feeler designated generally by reference numeral 14, coin face depth guide mechanism 22, a jolt resistor 44 which is an additional function of locking arm component 26 of depth guide mechanism 22, and a coin ejector mechanism 36.

Rim feeler mechanism 1 4 depicted in FIGURE 2 comprises an arm 15 pivot-ably mounted to lower surface of lower frame member 10a having an angular head 16 upwardly biased against lower face of coin slide 11 by spring 17, head 16 being provided on the inner side with a rim feeler projection 18 so disposed that upon coin slide 11 being advanced toward coin depositing position it overrides the circumferential 13a edge of coin slot 13. Transverse groove 19 formed in lower face of coin slide 1 1 is so disposed that substantially at the moment rim feeler projection 19 overrides edge of coin slot 13 angular head 16 is urged by spring 17 into groove 19 to thereby obstruct the further passage of coin slide 11.

However, upon a coin 12 being positioned in coin slot 13, and coin slide 11 being advanced to the position illustrated in FIGURE 2, rim feeler projection 18 as it overrides edge of coin slot 13 is urged into contact with rim 20 of coin 12, and the free passage of coin slide 1 1 is permitted due to rim 20 of coin 12 engaging rim feeler projection 18 and thereby maintaining angular head 16 level with lower face of coin slide 11. Rim feeler mechanism 14 is so disposed toward the side of frame 10 that rim 20 of coin 12 and rim feeler projection 18 are momentarily in engagement while groove 19 passes above angular head 16. It will be evident from the foregoing that the passage of coin slot 13 in which a slug or counterfeit coin is placed having a rim less than that of acceptable coins will be impeded by rim feeler mechanism 14.

Depth guide mechanism indicated generally by reference numeral 22, operates in conjunction with rim feeler mechanism 14 to impede the passage of counterfeit coins in which the depth of the face 21 below rim 20 is less than that of acceptable coins. In short, while rim feeler mechanism 14 may pass counterfeit coins having a thickness greater than that of the rim of an acceptable coin, depth guide mechanism 22 will operate to impede the passage of such a counterfeit coin. Conversely while slugs having either no rim and a thickness less than that of acceptable coins, or having a rim of less than acceptable thickness may be passable through depth guide mechanism 22 they are impeded first by rim feeler mechanism 14 in the manner above described.

With reference to FIGURES 3 and 4 depth guide mechanism 22 comprises lifting arm 23 pivotally mounted upon upper surface of frame 10, having a rotatable toothed wheel 24 at its forward butt end 25, and a locking arm 26 likewise pivotably mounted upon upper surface of frame rearwardly of mounted lifting arm 23, as depicted in FIGURES 3 and 4. On lower surface of frame 10 opposite lifting arm'26 is mounted riding arm 28 having a plain rotatable wheel 29 at the forward end directly opposite toothed wheel 24. Rotatable wheel 29 is biased upwardly toward lower face 11a of coin slide by spring 110, likewise toothed wheel 24 is biased toward upper face 11b of coin slide 11 by spring 27. As coin slide 11 is moved toward and into the position depicted in FIGURE 4 coin 12 is brought into engagement with plain wheel 29 which urges coin 12 upwardly to maintain rim against the interior lower surface of the upper portion 10b of frame 10, and by this means thereby also maintaining rim 20 of coin 12 in the plane of upper face 11b of coin slide 11. Thereupon toothed sensing wheel 24 engages upper face 21 of coin 12 which is of course below the level of upper face 11b of rim slide 11. The downward or depressing movement made by toothed sensing wheel 24 raises rear end 30 of lifting arm by a distance greater in proportion than the above mentioned depressed movement of toothed sensing wheel 24 as the ratio of length of lifting arm 26 and length of butt respectively from their pivotable axis. Until the engagement of toothed sensing wheel 24 is made with face 21 of coin 12 it will be noted that locking arm 26 is in the locked position as clearly depicted in FIGURE 3. It should be further observed that locking arm 26 cannot be raised or unlocked owing to contact of rear end 31 with upper face 11b of coin slide 11, spring 32 biases arm 26 toward coin slide 11.

To further explain action of depth guide mechanism 22 coin slide 11 is cut away along the edge thereof at 33 and 34 in order that as coin slide 11 is advanced from the position illustrated in FIGURE 3 toward that of FIGURE 4 cut away portion of slide at 34 frees rear end 31 of locking arm 26 to permit its downward movement and thereby also permit forward locking end 35 of locking arm 26 to move upwardly into the unlocked position as illustrated in FIGURE 4, locking arm 26 being actuated by lifting arm 23 as hereinabove described upon toothed sensing wheel 24 coming into engagement with upper coin face 21. Upon depth guide mechanism 22 being actuated in this manner coin slide 11 may be further advanced toward the coin depositing position. It is apparent from the foregoing thatit is not the actual thickness of a coin 12 which actuates the depth guide mechanism 22, but rather the depth below the rim 20 of the coin face 21. Rotatable toothed sensing wheel 24 may be eccentrically adjustable in butt 25; alternatively an adjustable screw means may be provided on the portion of locking arm 26 that comes into contact with end 30 of lifting arm 23 to adjust thereby the depressed movement of toothed sensing wheel necessary to actuate the mechanism.

An important feature of the depth guide mechanism 22 is the provision of toothed sensing wheel 24 to rotate upon coin 12 as it is move-d in coin slide 11 toward the coin depositing position. In conventional mechanism of this nature utilized in coin push chutes the equivalent of my lifting arm 23 is provided with an integral sensing finger which is gradually reduced by friction on coins until the mechanism is rendered inaccurate and therefore also ineffective in the performance of its function. The toothed sensing wheel 24 on the other hand does not become worn down through friction since it rotates with the coin 12 as the coin 12 moves, and moreover the sensing teeth 240 are successively used to considerably lengthen the useful life of depth guide mechanism 22.

In addition to the part played in the depth guide, function of locking arm 26, a second novel function of locking arm 26 may be called into play to impede the progress of coin slide 11 when coin slide 11 is jolted or hit in such a manner that the sudden rapid movement thereof and the perceptible momentary delay of rim feeler mechanism 14 to become actuated enables coin slide 11 to be moved beyond its locking position as previously described. It is possible on such occasion as this happens for counterfeit coins and the like to be accepted as the coin slide 11 moves toward the coin depositing position. However, the speed which is necessary for this to occur also causes locking arm 26 to remain in the locked position depicted in FIGURE 3, since lifting arm 23 requires that coin slide 11 be moved at moderate speed to become actuated at the propitious moment. The provision of a cut away edge of coin slide between points 33 and 34 enables locking arm 26 to remain locked until such time as end 34 has moved beyond rear end 31 of locking arm 26 to point 3411, as depicted in FIGURE 3. It will be noted that a flexible stop arm 44 is so disposed upon upper frame portion 10b above locking arm 26 that upon locking arm 26 being lifted to the unlocked position illustrated in FIGURE 4 a clearance of five-thousandths of an inch approximately is made between end 35 of locking arm 26 and upper face 111; of coin slide 11. Should, therefore, coin slide 11 upon being suddenly advanced past rim feeler mechanism 14 and depth guide mechanism 22, as when it is suddenly jolted, and should locking arm 26 be actuated from the locked to the unlocked position, as previously described, locking arm 26 strikes flexible stop arm 44 and is thereby returned to the locked position illustrated in FIGURE 3 before rear edge 33 has time to pass below end 35, thereby also prohibiting the advancement of coin slide 11 past locking arm 26 toward the coin depositing position.

An additional safeguard to the advancement of coin slide 11 past rim feeler mechanism 14 and depth guide mechanism 22 is provided by a coin diameter gauge arm 45 pivotably mounted upon lower surface of lower frame member 10a, biased upwardly by spring 46 against lower face 11a of coin slide 11 and having a finger 47 of predetermined width such that it will be urged between the rim of any coin having a diameter less than that of acceptable coins and the circumferential edge 13a of coin slot 13, as illustrated in FIGURE 6, to thereby prohibit the progress of coin slide 11 toward the coin depositing position. By this means, should rim feeler and depth guide mechanisms 14 and 22 fail to become actuated upon coin slide 11 being advanced with no coin, or bearing a counterfeit coin as above described, coin diameter gauge arm 45 acts as one locking means.

Furthermore, due to American quarters having a diameter fifteen-thousandths of an inch wider than that of Canadian quarters, coin diameter gauge arm 45 may be so adapted that should only American quarters be desired as acceptable coins, finger 47 will, if given a width less than fifteen-thousandths of an inch, become the means for rejecting Canadian quarters in the manner above described and as illustrated in FIGURE 6, since it will be urged between the rim 48 of a Canadian quarter 49 and the circumferential edge 13a of coin slot 13.

The final novel feature of my coin chute is the coin ejector mechanism 36 which is actuated upon coin slide 11 reaching the coin depositing position illustrated in FIGURE 5. In conventional coin push chutes as previously stated, the return of a coin is possible through use of Scotch tape orsimilar adhesive tape being used to retain coin 12 in position in coin slot 13 when the coin slide 11 is in the coin depositing position. The same is possible using a coin or slug that is jammed tightly into coin slot 12 which does not fall away from coin slot 12 pon reaching the coin depositing position. The coin ejector mechanism 36 which overcomes this disadvantage, and is now described comprises ejector arm 37 pivotably mounted upon the upper surface of frame between the ejector end 38 and trigger end 39, spring 40 biasing trigger end 39 toward upper inner surface of the lower portion 10a of frame it) between channel 41 centrally disposed in coin slide 11. Upon coin slide 11 approaching 'the coin depositing position near edge 42 of end of channel 41 meets and forces upwardly against tendency of spring 40 trigger end 35 to a new elevated position shown in FIGURE 5 at point 39a. This action occurs upon coin slide 11 being in the coin depositing position, ejector end 38 being depressed to point 38a, thereby breaking the adhesive tape 43, or so dislodging coin 312 from coin slot 13 that the return action of coin slide 11 causes the adhesive tape 43 to break between coin 12 and upper face 11b of coin slide 11.

It will be noted from a study of FIGURE 5 that offset end 17a of spring 110 of riding arm 28 is therein utilized to provide an obstruction to falling coin indicated by phantom lines 12a in FIGURE 5, returning to its position in coin slot 13 upon return of coin slide 11 to the coin inserting position, since end 17a of spring 17 exerts a downward force upon the upper face of coin 12a to expel coin 12a should it be lifted upwardly toward coin slot 13 through use of adhesive tape, or the like.

While I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a coin push chute of the type comprising a frame and a coin slide slidably mounted in said frame for movement from a coin receiving position to a fully inserted coin depositing position, said coin slide having a slot therein adapted to receive a coin; means for precluding said coin slide from reaching said fully inserted position upon carrying a coin having an undepressed face, said precluding means comprising movable coin slide engaging means actuable to a first position and a second position, said movable coin slide engaging means in said first position engaging stop means on said coin slide and precluding said coin slide from reaching said fully inserted position, said movable coin slide engaging means in said second position permitting said coin slide engaging means to reach said fully inserted position, movable sensing finger means actuable from a first position to a second position, a sensing wheel rotatably attached at one end of said sensing finger means, a plurality of teeth of equal height located peripherally around said sensing wheel, in said second position of said sensing finger means said teeth on said sensing wheel being adapted to ride on the depressed face of a true coin in said slot, in said first position of said sensing finger means said teeth of said sensing wheel being at a different level than the level of said depressed face of said true coin, lifting finger means actuable by said sensing finger means and adapted to actuate said movable coin slide engaging means, means for biasing said coin against said frame and towards said sensing finger means actuating said coin slide engaging means to said second position thereof upon said teeth of said sensing Wheel riding on the depressed face of a coin having a depth of depression at least as great as a predetermined depth, said coin slide engaging means being in said first position upon said teeth of said sensing wheel riding on the undepressed face of a counterfeit coin, the position of said stop means being such that said coin slide engaging means is about to co'act with said stop means to preclude movement of said coin slide to said fully inserted posit-ion as said teeth of said sensing wheel ride over the rim of a true coin and into the depressed face of said true coin.

2. In combination with a coin push chute, precluding means as claimed in claim 1 in which said teeth of said sensing wheel are precluded from riding on said coin slide by precluding means located on said lifting finger means, slot means being cutout in said coin slide to co-act with said precluding means on said lifting finger.

3. In combination with a coin push chute, precluding means as claimed in claim 1 in which said stop means is a notch in said coin slide, said coin slide engaging means engaging said notch in said first position of said coin slide engaging means.

4. In combination with a coin push chute, precluding means as claimed in claim 1 including spring means biasing said coin slide engaging means into contact with said coin slide.

5. In combination with a coin push chute, precluding means as claimed in claim 1 in which said coin slide engaging means is a lever pivotably mounted on said frame, said sensing finger means and said lifting finger means being a lever pivotably mounted on said frame at a pivot axis, said sensing finger means being on one side of said pivot axis, said lifting finger means being on the other side of said pivot axis, spring means biasing said sensing finger means to said first and second positions thereof, adjustable means on at least one of said coin slide engaging means and said lifting finger means, said ajustable means being adjustable to vary the effective spacing between said lifting finger means and said coin slide engaging means.

6. In combination with a coin push chute, precluding means as claimed in claim 5 in which said coin slide engaging means is a lever pivotably mounted on said frame and including adjustable means on at least one of said coin sli-de engaging means and said lifting finger means, said adjustable means being adjustable to vary the effective spacing between said lifting finger means and said coin slide engaging means, first spring means biasing said coin slide engaging means into contact with said coin slide and second spring means biasing said sensing finger means to said first and second positions thereof, distance from said pivot axis to said lifting finger means being substantially greater than distance between said pivot axis and axis of said sensing wheel.

7. In combination with a coin push chute, precluding means as claimed in claim 1 in which said coin slide engaging means is in said first position upon said teeth of said sensing wheel riding on the depressed face of a coin having a depth of depression less than said predetermined depth.

8. In combination with a coin push chute, precluding means as claimed in claim 1 in which is included means for urging a part of one face of any coin in said slot against said claim as said teeth of said sensing wheel ride on said one face, thereby establishing a common reference level for each coin, in said first position of said sensing finger means, said teeth of said sensing wheel being at a different level than the level of said depressed face of said true coin, rim feeler means comprising a lever pivotably mounted on said frame at a pivot axis, said rim feeler means having a first and a second position, said second position permitting said rim feeler means to gage depth of rim of said coin and preclude acceptance of counterfeit coins having untrue rim depth.

9. In combination with a coin push chute, precluding means as claimed in claim 1 including anti-jolt means for comprising flexible stop means located upon said frame, engageable with said slide engaging means to bias said slide engaging means to said first position upon said coin slide being suddenly jolted.

10. In combination with a coin push chute, precluding means as claimed as claim 1 including coin ejector means comprising a lever pivotably mounted on said frame, said lever of said ejector mechanism co-acting with slot means cut in said coin slide to actuate said lever of said ejector mechanism to pivot upon said coin slide reaching end 3,265,179 7 8 of movement, said lever of said ejector mechanism there- References Cited by the Examiner by forcably ejecting said coin from said coin slot.

11. In combination with a coin push chute, precluding UNITED STATES PATENTS means as claimed in claim 1 including coin diameter gage 2,065,193 12/1936 Mills 1 94-92 means comprising a lever pivotably mounted on said 5 2,080,911 5/1937 Gamm l 194 92 X frame, said lever having a sensing finger, spring means biasing said sensing finger towards said coin slot between ROBERT E REEVES Examiner. rim of said coin and rim of said coin slot, said finger having a width less than .015 inch thereby to preclude coin S. H. TOLLBERG, Assistant Examiner. having a diameter of at least .030 inch less than diameter 10 of said coin slot. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A COIN PUSH CHUTE OF THE TYPE COMPRISING A FRAME AND A COIN SLIDE SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME FOR MOVEMENT FROM A COIN RECEIVING POSITION TO A FULLY INSERTED COIN DEPOSITING POSITION, SAID COIN SLIDE HAVING A SLOT THEREIN ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A COIN; MEANS FOR PRECLUDING SAID COIN SLIDE FROM REACHING SAID FULLY INSERTED POSITION UPON CARRYING A COIN HAVING AN UNDEPRESSED FACE, SAID PRECLUDING MEANS COMPRISING MOVABLE COIN SLIDE ENGAGING MEANS ACTUABLE TO A FIRST POSITION AND A SECOND POSITION, SAID MOVABLE COIN SLIDE ENGAGING MEANS IN SAID FIRST POSITION ENGAGING STOP MEANS ON SAID COIN SLIDE AND PRECLUDING SAID COIN SLIDE FROM REACHING SAID FULLY INSERTED POSITION, SAID MOVABLE COIN SLIDE ENGAGING MEANS IN SAID SECOND POSITION PERMITTING SAID COIN SLIDE ENGAGING MEANS TO REACH SAID FULLY INSERTED POSITION, MOVABLE SENSING FINGER MEANS ACTUABLE FROM A FIRST POSITION TO A SECOND POSITION, A SENSING WHEEL ROTATABLY ATTACHED AT ONE END OF SAID SENSING FINGER MEANS, A PLURALITY OF TEETH OF EQUAL HEIGHT LOCATED PERIPHERALLY AROUND SAID SENSING WHEEL, IN SAID SECOND POSITION OF SAID SENSING FINGER MEANS SAID TEETH ON SAID SENSING WHEEL BEING ADAPTED TO RIDE ON THE DEPRESSED FACE OF A TRUE COIN IN SAID SLOT, IN SAID FIRST POSITION OF SAID SENSING FINGER MEANS SAID TEETH OF SAID SENSING WHEEL BEING AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL THAN THE LEVEL OF SAID DEPRESSED FACE OF SAID TRUE COIN, LIFTING FINGER MEANS ACTUABLE BY SAID SENSING FINGER MEANS AND ADAPTED TO ACTUATE SAID MOVABLE COIN SLIDE ENGAGING MEANS, MEANS FOR BIASING SAID COIN AGAINST SAID FRAME AND TOWARDS SAID SENSING FINGER MEANS ACTUATING SAID COIN SLIDE ENGAGING MEANS TO SAID SECOND POSITION THEREOF UPON SAID TEETH OF SAID SENSING WHEEL RIDING ON THE DEPRESSED FACE OF A COIN HAVING A DEPTH OF DEPRESSION AT LEAST AS GREAT AS A PREDETERMINED DEPTH, SAID COIN SLIDE ENGAGING MEANS BEING IN SAID FIRST POSITION UPON SAID TEETH OF SAID SENSING WHEEL RIDING ON THE UNDEPRESSED FACE OF A COUNTERFEIT COIN, THE POSITION OF SAID STOP MEANS BEING SUCH THAT SAID COIN SLIDE ENGAGING MEANS IS ABOUT TO CO-ACT WITH SAID STOP MEANS TO PRECLUDE MOVEMENT OF SAID COIN SLIDE TO SAID FULLY INSERTED POSITION AS SAID TEETH OF SAID SENSING WHEEL RIDE OVER THE RIM OF A TRUE COIN AND INTO THE DEPRESSED FACE OF SAID TRUE COIN. 